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Factors that influence gender identity
Nature vs nurture gender differences
Nature vs nurture in gender
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Recommended: Factors that influence gender identity
How Children Develop Gender Identification
Raven Ri’kenya Coffey
Hillsborough Community College: Brandon Campus
Author Note
This paper was prepared for Psychology 2012, BHUM 206, taught by Dr. Beth Smith.
Abstract
Over the years, psychologists and psychiatrists have discovered a great gender disparity between young girls and young boys. While most agree that gender identification is revealed at birth, this issue is constantly exploited through the use of various tests and practices such as the “Machover Figure-Drawing Test”. In this test, the child is asked to draw a person a sheet of paper. Later, the child is evaluated based on the gender he or she had drawn. Furthermore, this particular exercise is supposed to reflect their gender identity.
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To maintain a positive outcome in gender identity development, professionals must put themselves in a child’s position when evaluating this disorder. Consequently, they must look at the nature of memory and biological imperatives. The artificiality of many experiments has led some researchers to question whether their findings can be generalized to real life (McLeod, 2007). As stated previously, loop holes must be filled with more accurate results. Psychologists could also benefit from this research through the study of young children suffering from confusion and even suicide. One must understand that children at a younger age are more prone to rejection if gender roles are challenged. Throughout history, gender identity disorder of childhood has presented the greatest challenge for clinicians (Ghosh, 2012). The American Psychological Association (APA) can apply this research by framing the underlying characteristics of gender identity in a more evident and unbiased approach. Milestones in the study of gender development have stimulated epic research from psychologists all over the world. …show more content…
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Green, R. (1971). Diagnosis and treatment of gender identity disorders during childhood [Abstract]. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1(2), 167-173. doi: 10.1007/BF01541061
Hale, M. (2012). Apa considers eliminating gender identity disorder, replace with ‘gender dysphoria’. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/apa-to-eliminate-gender-identity-disorder-replace-with-gender-dysphoria/
Hill, D. B., Rozanski, C., Carfagnini, J., & Willoughby, B. (2007). Gender identity disorders in childhood and adolescence. International Journal of Sexual Health, 19(1), 57-75. doi: 10.1300/J514v19n01_07
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McLeod, S. (2007). Memory, encoding storage and retrieval | simply psychology. http://www.simplypsychology.org/memory.html
Office of research & development. (2013). http://www.research.va.gov/currents/fall2013/fall2013-12.cfm
Oswalt, A. (1995). Early childhood gender identity.
Children develop their first sense of self at around age four, when they develop metacognition. (Berk, 2006) In pursuit of their self, they start to develop personal identities, informing their likes and dislikes as well as their disposition. Although children are born into a certain sex, they do not immediately develop a sense of gender. Their gender forms at the same time as their sense of self, by observing their outside environment. But even before the child understands their sense of self, they are already placed into gender specific play from around age 2 (Zosuls, 2007).
How do children learn to be men or women? Penelope Eckert is a professor of linguistics and anthropology at Stanford University and Sally McConnell-Ginet is a professor of linguistics at Cornell University. They wrote an article “Learning to Be Gendered,” published in 2013 in the book “Language and Gender.” The authors argue that society has many ways to shape children's gender by children’s behaviors since their birth. Eckert and Ginet show to the readers that the parent teaches their child’s behavior. The author is using ethos, logos, and pathos to support the thesis statement.
Overviewing our information, there is evidence of ethical wrongs and rights when considering sexual reassignment treatments for minors. Also, there are multiple options to choose from when transitioning and risks and gains that come with each. As we read from Dr. Kaufman and Dr. Beaver, the natural effects of puberty are irreversible while the effects of puberty blockers and hormones are reversible. Then from Dr. McHugh, gender dysphoria belongs in the family of similarly disordered assumptions about the body and should be treated in other ways than blockers, hormones, or
According to the textbook, the term Gender Dysphoria means “biological sex and gender identity do not match, thus leading to distress and impairment” (Chapter 8, pg.279). The textbook also discusses how “children with Gender Dysphoria is apparent in repeated statements that the child wants to be the opposite sex or is the opposite sex; cross-dressing in clothing stereotypical of the other sex and how the child has persistent fantasies of being the opposite sex such as; pretend play or activities associated with the opposite sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279). However; the textbook also mentions how “people with gender dysphoria have persisted discomfort with their own sex” (Chapter 8, pg. 279).
In the stage of gender stability children are able to indicate that a gender remains the same throughout time and therefore, children start to realise that they will be male or female for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, their understanding of gender i...
Gibson, B., & Catlin, A.J. (2011). Care of the Child with the Desire to Change Gender-Part 1.
Jody was born biologically with male genitals and he was brought up as a boy. Unlike his more gender-typical older brother, Jody’s childhood behavior was considered “sissy”. Jody genetically preferred the company of girls compared to boys during childhood. Jody considered herself a bisexual male until the age of 19. At 19 years of age, she became involved with a man, and her identity would be transgender, meaning that Jody was unhappy with her gender of birth and seeks a change from male to female. It would seem that there was some late-onset dissatisfaction, and late-onset is linked to attraction to women; in comparison to early childhood-onset, which are attracted to men. Jody identified herself as bisexual. The relationship with the man ended; nevertheless, Jody’s desire to become a woman consumed her, and Jody feels that’s he was born in the
In regards to the development of gender identity, it is a more complex issue to deal with, as one has to be concerned about all aspects of the person life, starting from even before they have been born (Swaab, 2004), to a point in their life where they are settled and satisfied with their identity. The American Psychological Association states that while development is very fluid among young children, it is usually believed to form between ages 3 and 6, however many transgender, individuals are not able to embrace their true gender identity until much later in life, largely due to societal stigma associated with these identities.
Fresh from the womb we enter the world as tiny, blank slates with an eagerness to learn and blossom. Oblivious to the dark influences of culture, pre-adult life is filled with a misconception about freedom of choice. The most primitive and predominant concept that suppresses this idea of free choice involve sex and gender; specifically, the correlation between internal and external sex anatomy with gender identity. Meaning, those with male organs possess masculine identities, which involve personality traits, behavior, etcetera, and the opposite for females. Manipulating individuals to adopt and conform to gender identities, and those respective roles, has a damaging, life-long, effect on their development and reflection of self through prolonged suppression. This essay will attempt to exploit the problems associated with forced gender conformity through an exploration of personal experiences.
According to the DSM-5, gender dysphoria is “the distress that may accompany the incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed gender and one’s assigned gender” (American Psychological Association, 2013). Even though studies have shown that not every individual suffers from distress, it is still possible that an individual might suffers from distress due to the hormonal treatment or surgical procedure(s). In the past, gender dysphoria has been referred to as “gender identity”. However, gender identity, by the DSM-IV definition is “a category of social identity and refers to an individual’s identification as male, female, or occasionally, some category other than male or female” (American Psychological Association, 2000). Individuals that identify themselves with another gender tend to change their sex, which has been proven to be a hard and long process.
However Devor provides insight into how this is taught and processed though the mind of various stages of childhood. He demonstrates how children begin to observe the community around them and notice similarities in groups which they come to associate with gender characteristics (109). Devor theorizes that children do not see gender in the anatomical sense but in features such as the presence or absence of hair, clothes and makeup (111). This categorization based off others appearance is what leads the child to start grouping themselves into a specific gender identity. Devor explains that all children use an “I”, “Me” and “Self” technique to assimilate into a gender identity. Meaning that they see themselves, the “I”, while they also look at how others treat them which causes them to obtain the, “Me”, which produces the overall outlook that the child has of themselves called the, “Self”
When it comes to gender identity, one’s perception on which gender they would prefer has a sociological effect on them. The minor details in our environment can have a major effect on a person such as television shows, books, and many other things. What people are unaware of is this spectrum called a gender continuum that can help show the different ways people identify their selves; a gender continuum is an extension of the gender spectrum that includes various types of “genders”. Many people struggle with gender identity and they are thought to have gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is deemed as a mental illness in which a person feels distressed at the fact of them not being able to express their inner identity (web m.d.). Many people that suffer with this disorder go searching for a way to “treat” themselves, but there isn’t a treatment for GID. Psychologist often suggest the best way to help you deal with your gender identity struggles is to go have a talk therapy session with a therapist. It takes a conscious mind to deal with gender identification
There are several theorists that have presented models on sexual identity development. Many of the models have stages of sexual identity development suggesting that certain characteristics are present during a specific period. However, Anthony D’Augelli presents a model that suggests processes rather than stages. These processes take place over the span of one’s life and not necessarily in any specific order or fashion. D’Augelli’s (1994a) life span model of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) identity development takes into account “the complex factors that influence the development of people in context over historical time” (Evans et al, 2010). According to D’Augelli’s (1994) theory, identity formation includes three sets of interrelated variables that are involved in identity formation: personal actions and subjectivities, interactive intimacies, and sociohistorical connections. Personal subjectivities and actions include individuals’ perceptions and feelings about their sexual identities as well as actual sexual behaviors and the meanings attached to them. Interactive intimacies include the influences of family, peer group, and intimate partnerships and the meanings attached to experiences with significant others. Sociohistorical connections are defined as the social norms, policies and laws found in various geographical locations and cultures, as well as the values existing during particular historical periods (Evans et al, 2010).
Society today suggest that revealing the “gender” or “sex” of a child from the moment of conception forward is a necessity. But, in all actuality to some this is an invasion of their privacy and beliefs. Many believe that raising a child gender specific is not important to their upbringing or to their growth and development. Gender is defined with several different meanings such as the behavioral, cultural or psychological traits typically associated with the one sex. The sex of an individual, male or female, based on reproductive anatomy (the category to which an individual is assigned on the basis of sex) and the personal traits or personality that we attach to being male or female. Sex is defined as the biological distinctions determined by our genitalia.
In order to discuss the biology of gender identity and sexual orientation, it is necessary to first examine the differences between multiple definitions that are often mistakenly interchanged: sex, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Sexual orientation is defined by LeVay (2011) as “the trait that predisposes us to experience sexual attraction to people of the same sex as ourselves, to persons of the other sex, or to both sexes” (p. 1). The typical categories of sexual orientation are homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual. Vrangalova and Savin-Williams (2012) found that most people identify as heterosexual, but there are also groups of people that identify as mostly heterosexual and mostly gay within the three traditional categories (p. 89). This is to say that there are not three concrete groups, but sexual orientation is a continuum and one can even fluctuate on it over time. LeVay (2011) also defines gender as “the ...